


Friendship Never Ends

by Laisaxrem



Series: This is Us (english version) [7]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Gen, Kazekage Gaara (Naruto), M/M, Rokudaime Hatake Kakashi, Short One Shot, kakashi and gai rivalry, meet your lover's dad, my favourite bromance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:48:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27560104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laisaxrem/pseuds/Laisaxrem
Summary: Gaara has traveled to Konoha for a meeting with the Hokage which will be interrupted by a certain ninja in a wheelchair.
Relationships: Gaara/Rock Lee, Hatake Kakashi & Maito Gai | Might Guy, Nara Shikamaru/Temari (mentioned)
Series: This is Us (english version) [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1976788
Comments: 4
Kudos: 55





	Friendship Never Ends

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Friendship Never Ends](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21343990) by [Laisaxrem](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laisaxrem/pseuds/Laisaxrem). 



> First of all I apologize for the huge grammar errors. English is not really my forte and I kept this translation on the drive for a long time before I decided to publish it (and yes, I got help from Google too).  
> Btw.
> 
> DATE: Wednesday 22nd June 1682  
> TITLE: Wannabe - Spice Girls

The Hokage office hadn’t changed much over the years.

Gaara had seen it for the first time when he was only thirteen and it was occupied by Sarutobi Hiruzen, the old Sandaime. On that occasion he had not been properly invited and _technically_ he had not been there physically, but he had studied it thoroughly thanks to his Daisan no Me. He had seen it again, this time officially, like the Kazekage at Tsunade-sama’s invitation, the Godaime. And now he was entering it again and on the chair was Hatake Kakashi, the Rokudaime.

He knew that during Pain’s attack the building, just like the rest of Konoha, had been razed to the ground, but apparently Konoha had both the original drawings and tremendously skilled builders because the room itself had changed little or nothing. Really: portraits of previous Hokages had appeared on the walls and on the desk was one of Kakashi’s _Icha Ichas_. Otherwise everything was the same as Gaara had seen it for the first time seven years earlier.

But something _had_ actually changed, and it was the realization that Gaara was having an affair with one of Konoha’s ninja. A homosexual relationship.

Before the Fourth Ninja War this would have been a big problem and a part of him feared every moment that someone in the two Villages would use it as a pretext to cause clashes. Instead, the part of him that believed in peace was sure that he and Lee could live it peacefully. The two sides were in constant struggle within him but at that moment, discussing various details about their business alliance with Kakashi, the pessimistic side was winning and Gaara feared that at any moment Kakashi would bring Lee into play, perhaps forbidding him to continue the relationship, or worse announcing that his boyfriend would be relieved of his position as Delegate and permanently recalled to Konoha.

«Regarding the chūnin selection exams», the Hokage was saying as he flipped through a thickly typed sheet of paper, «I thought we could –»

The office door burst open with an explosion and Gaara felt the sand snap to protect him in an instant as he jumped to his feet, ready to combat.

But at the door there was not a platoon of shinobi ready to assassinate them but a single ninja seated in a wheelchair, with thick black eyebrows, straight bowl-cut hair and a green spandex jumpsuit that Gaara knew quite well.

«Kaaaaakaaaaashiiiii!» he howled as he pushed himself inside the room.

The man on the other side of the desk sighed and got up, going to meet the newcomer.

«Gai, this is not –»

«You have avoided me for too long», he interrupted him almost bumping into the legs of the Hokage and completely ignoring Gaara who instinctively moved away by a few steps from the couple. «I challenge you!»

«I’m a tad bit busy right now», Kakashi pointed out, throwing an apologetic glance at the Kazekage.

«I told him», said a bored voice from the door. Leaning against the jamb was a boy of his age, dark eyes, very black hair tied in a high ponytail on his head. Nara Shikamaru, assistant to the Hokage but above all current boyfriend of his sister (Gaara had not yet decided if he wanted to thank him for making Temari happy or if he wanted to kill him for having sex with her). «But you know him, Kakashi-sensei. He’s really troublesome. And he doesn’t know what no means».

«Thank you, Shikamaru, I’ll take care of it now».

The young man shrugged, bowed his head briefly in Gaara’s direction and left, closing the door behind him.

«So, Kakashi, do you accept my challenge?» Gai asked, his determined gaze that reminded Gaara of Lee’s.

«Turn around for a moment, Gai», the Hokage urged, nodding absently towards the corner of the office where Gaara was basically hiding.

The man did so and finally noticed the presence behind him and blushed a little.

«Oh, Kazekage-sama!» he exclaimed, bowing as far as the wheelchair allowed. «I apologize for the interruption. It’s an honour to see you again after all this time!»

«It’s a pleasure for me too», he replied, slightly bowing his head, torn.

Obviously he recognized the man instantly, both because he was one of the heroes of the war (he perfectly remembered the majesty of the fight between him and Uchiha Madara, four years earlier), and because he was Lee’s sensei-and-practically-father. Therefore he was struggling over how to greet the man. In short, he was the Kazekage, but Gai was the father of the man he loved. Perhaps he was expecting a few more words, some acknowledgment of their situation. Or, that the gods did not want, a hug?

Gaara was saved by the intervention of the Hokage.

«So Gai, could you please leave us? We were discussing something important».

The latter turned, ignoring the young man again.

«Never, Kakashi! We have a challenge to do and I don’t intend to allow you to slip away again».

Kakashi sighed and took off the hat attesting his position, placing it carefully on the desk.

«Forgive me, Kazekage-sama», he said with a nod towards him and then went back to his friend. «I accept the challenge, but it will have to take place here».

«Oh!» The jōnin seemed extremely surprised by the affirmative answer he had just received but he recovered quickly. «Yosh! Then I propose a thousand push-ups on the tips of the fingers».

Kakashi nodded and moved to the centre of the room while Gai, using his arms and good leg, got up from his chair and jumped until he was in front of the man. Then together, perfectly coordinated, they got into position on the floor.

«Gaara-sama, would you mind giving us the go and judging us?» the Hokage asked, giving him a contrite look.

«Ah. Sure». And he approached the two contenders, uncertain. «Ready? Go».

And they started pushing on their arms at an impressive speed.

Gaara had feared that Gai would be unstable, being able to lean on only one foot, but apparently he was worried too much because the shinobi was doing the push-ups as if it were nothing. It was almost hypnotic to watch them, almost perfectly synchronized, the Hokage leading only by a couple of movements.

«The winner is Kakashi-sama», he finally declared when the two stopped, not even a drop of sweat to indicate that they had in fact just made a considerable physical effort.

«Ahhh. This time it went well for you, my rival, but know that at the next challenge I will tear you up».

«All right, Gai, whatever you want», the Hokage replied, his tone bored but his eyes smiling, as he stood up and watched his friend do the same, a bit clumsy (he hadn’t offered him help and Gaara imitated the example, even though part of him wanted to use his sand to secure Maito to his chair avoiding injuries to his bad leg). «Can you leave us now, please? I have to go back to work».

«Oh, right!» he exclaimed, staring back at Gaara who felt a little uncomfortable under those intense dark eyes. «I apologize again for the interruption, Kazekage-sama. Kakashi, I’ll make curry tonight, I’ll wait for you by eight».

The Hokage did not reply but raised a hand in greeting and watched the other leave the office and close the door behind him.

The two Kages sat back at the desk in silence and Kakashi left his hat resting on the shiny wood, his unruly hair falling a little on his face.

«I’m sorry about that», he apologized, but his eyes were still smiling. It was quite clear that although the Hokage had shown irritation at Maito Gai’s request, he wasn’t really displeased to face their “challenge”.

«Not a problem», Gaara assured him.

It was evident that the two had a special relationship, a strange friendship that made Gaara curious. He knew how much Lee cared about his sensei and, even if he hadn’t told him yet, he loved Lee tremendously so a part of him wanted to know Gai better and above all he desperately wanted to be liked by him. That same part was therefore telling him to use Kakashi’s knowledge to get some information about the man.

Maybe he was a little lost in his thoughts because all of a sudden the Hokage bent under the desk and, when he emerged, he was holding a bottle of amber liquid (whiskey, perhaps?) and two small glasses in his hand.

«What do you think if we take a little break from our duties?» he asked, winking at him and pouring the liqueur without waiting for his answer. Apparently he had inherited something from Tsunade in addition to his hat and office.

But Gaara accepted what was offered and sipped the liquid: yes, definitely whiskey, and of excellent quality too.

«I think you have some questions», the Hokage began after a few seconds (and his glass of liquor was somehow already halfway through and Gaara _swore_ he hadn’t seen the man’s mask move).

The Kazekage thought for a moment. It seemed that Kakashi had read his mind and decided to create that unofficial moment to allow him to throw out some of the worms that gnawed at his mind. On the one hand he appreciated the gesture, but on the other he felt tremendously uncomfortable: he was not very comfortable in open-hearted chats – even if being with Lee was starting to improve this side of his personality – and for what he knew about him Kakashi was also not very practical in the art of sharing feelings. So yes, he really appreciated the Hokage’s effort and decided to let out the first thought that went through his head.

«How can it be the same person who nearly killed Uchiha Madara?»

Ok, maybe he had been a little bit rude. Gaara held his breath while inside his head he heard Baki’s voice scolding him for his lack of diplomacy.

But Kakashi chuckled.

«You’ll get used to it», he assured him, making the remaining whiskey disappear, again without showing the lower part of his face, cementing in Gaara the idea that in reality the mask was a very well elaborated genjutsu. «And by the way, since we’re on the subject, I wanted to ask you: how serious are you with Lee?»

And here they are exactly where he absolutely didn’t want to go. Shit. Fighting against embarrassment, Gaara forced himself to stare into the grey eyes of the most powerful man in Konoha, the man with whom he fought during the war, the man who could take away the person he was in love with.

«Very much», he replied simply, and thus earning a nod of approval.

«Then I think I owe you my condolences for your future father-in-law».

Gaara felt himself blush a little but Kakashi smiled at him and took back the folder he was examining before Gai’s arrival.

«Do we want to continue?»

**Author's Note:**

> Lately I feel very inspired by Gai so expect more stories about him, or about him and Kakashi, or about him and Lee (and in the future about him and Kakashi's children: there are pieces that I have already written and that I hope you will be move by them as much as they have moved me).


End file.
